Toranmal
Forgotten Satpura hill station of lakes and sunset cliffs
Best time to visit Toranmal
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, off-season
- Jul, off-season
- Aug, shoulder season
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and August to October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to May
Toranmal season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Nov-Feb is ideal: 8-25 C, boating on Yashwant lake, Sitakhai and Sunset Point clear, and you may be the only outsider in town.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Apr-May the Khandesh plains below hit 44 C and the plateau turns brown and hazy; the season here is simply over until the rains.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Jul-Sep the ghat road from Shahada threads waterfalls and fog; the plateau goes green, drives are slow and occasionally blocked.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Oct-Nov clears to washed skies and a full lake, lotuses bloom on Kamal Talav and evenings already ask for a light jacket.
What Toranmal is actually like
Forest rest house and a handful of plain lodges by the lake; pilgrims, school trips, almost no travellers
Getting to Toranmal
ST buses from Shahada (52 km) and Nandurbar, the nearest railhead 90 km; slow ghat climb, arrive before dark
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 1006 m
- State
- Maharashtra
- Coordinates
- 21.8833, 74.4667
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Toranmal?
November to February is peak season in Toranmal. March and August to October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to May. Oct-Nov clears to washed skies and a full lake, lotuses bloom on Kamal Talav and evenings already ask for a light jacket.
How many days do you need in Toranmal?
2 days is the usual stay. Forest rest house and a handful of plain lodges by the lake; pilgrims, school trips, almost no travellers.
How do you get to Toranmal?
ST buses from Shahada (52 km) and Nandurbar, the nearest railhead 90 km; slow ghat climb, arrive before dark. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Toranmal expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Is there a festival in Toranmal?
Feb/Mar: Mahashivratri yatra at the Gorakhnath temple (dates shift yearly). Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Ninai Falls (Dediapada)
Gujarat
Monsoon cascade in the teak forests behind the Statue of Unity
90 km from Toranmal, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Statue of Unity
Gujarat
World's tallest statue, 182m, over the Narmada dam
100 km from Toranmal, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Mandu
Madhya Pradesh
Ruined Malwa plateau city famous for its monsoon mist
150 km from Toranmal, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Champaner-Pavagadh
Gujarat
UNESCO ghost capital below the 800 m Pavagadh hill
150 km from Toranmal, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Maheshwar
Madhya Pradesh
Narmada ghat town of forts, handloom sarees and calm
160 km from Toranmal, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Salher Fort
Maharashtra
Highest fort in the Sahyadris, rock-cut stairs to 1567 m
210 km from Toranmal, roughly about 5 h by road
-
Saputara
Gujarat
Gujarat's only hill station, on the Maharashtra border
220 km from Toranmal, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Omkareshwar
Madhya Pradesh
Om-shaped Narmada island with a Jyotirlinga and hostel vibe
230 km from Toranmal, roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Maharashtra
- Ajanta-Ellora Maharashtra
- Alibaug Maharashtra
- Amboli Maharashtra
- Bhandardara Maharashtra
- Bhimashankar Maharashtra
- Chandoli National Park Maharashtra
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Maharashtra
- Chikhaldara Maharashtra
- Gaganbawda Maharashtra
- Ganpatipule Maharashtra
- Harishchandragad Maharashtra
- Igatpuri Maharashtra
- Kaas Plateau Maharashtra
- Lonar Crater Lake Maharashtra
- Lonavala Maharashtra
- Mahabaleshwar Maharashtra
- Malvan-Tarkarli Maharashtra
- Matheran Maharashtra
- Mumbai Maharashtra
- Murud-Janjira Maharashtra
- Nanded (Hazur Sahib) Maharashtra
- Nashik Maharashtra
- Panchgani Maharashtra
- Pandharpur Maharashtra
- Panhala Maharashtra
- Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) Maharashtra
- Raigad Fort Maharashtra
- Rajgad Fort Maharashtra
- Sahastrakund Falls Maharashtra
- Salher Fort Maharashtra
- Sevagram (Wardha) Maharashtra
- Shirdi Maharashtra
- Tadoba Maharashtra
- Tapola (Shivsagar Lake) Maharashtra
- Trimbakeshwar Maharashtra
- Tuljapur Maharashtra
- Velas (Turtle Village) Maharashtra
- Vengurla Maharashtra